Coast Regional Cancer Facility amazes Homa Bay Governor

Mombasa,

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

KNA by Sadik Hassan

Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has been impressed by the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital's ultra-modern regional cancer treatment Centre.

The facility offers comprehensive cancer treatment to patients across the six coastal counties.

It was developed through a partnership of the national and county governments as part of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC). 

Doctors at the Cancer facility told Wanga during a benchmarking tour at the hospital that they are serving 100 cancer patients in a day.

“We have learned a lot and we are amazed by what we have seen here at the Cancer Centre as well as the numbers.

As the Doctor was saying these are patients who probably would have died because of cancer because they couldn’t afford to go somewhere else, but you’re saving their lives here. There is nothing better than to be able to touch lives in that way,” said the Homa Bay governor.

At the same time, she lauded the Mombasa County Government in its efforts of NHIF registration targeting the needy, while promising to roll out a similar program in Homa Bay.

“I am very impressed by what I have seen and the good work the staff are doing. I want to thank them for their commitment to serving the people of Mombasa and the entire region. We have also seen what’s happening in ICU,” said Wanga.

Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir took her Homa Bay counterpart on a guided tour of the biggest hospital in the Coastal town.

“The one thing that we share is our people-centered nature and the drive to give the best to those who elected us,’’ she added. Mombasa she noted is a place to benchmark “it’s an admiration of the rest of us.”

The two governors served together in the 12th Parliament and in the same National Assembly Departmental committees.

“Before we were sworn in, we pledged that we would be reaching out to each other once we become Governors,” said Nassir adding, “I have been to Homa Bay, where she accommodated and welcomed me.”

Last July, Nassir initiated the process of turning the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital (CPGH) into a fully-fledged county parastatal through the enactment of legislation.

The proposal, the Governor said, was aimed to “prevent executive over-reach into the management of health by putting in place a legal framework that guarantees the financial independence of Mombasa’s hospitals.”

This means that the terms of staff service can only improve; pensions will be secured and salaries paid on time, he added.

Moreover, this allowed the hospital to plan with certainty as we included mechanisms for ring-fencing funds generated at health facilities for use in the health sector,” said Nassir, during a dialogue with the hospital staff.

The Coast General Hospital serves all six coastal counties, which the Governor said has put a strain on the sustainability of the facility because it serves a big population beyond the tax-collecting reach of Mombasa.

Courtesy; KNA